DBA 3.0 armies, projects and campaigns set in the ancient, medieval and fantasy periods.

Sunday, 19 March 2017

Armenia - Between Two Empires (part 2)

Armenia - A Timeline

From 500 - 627 AD

502

More than sixty years had passed since the last major
conflict between Persia and Eastern Rome, but the Anastasian War (502 – 506)
was to become the first of many. From her major staging point (Nisibis) Persia
had seized a number of key fortresses which were eventually re-taken during the
long struggle.

504

A brief armistice was made to counter the Hunnic
invasion of Armenia. Two years later a negotiated peace treaty was signed and
Rome sought to correct the military shortcoming on the frontier by building a
major base at Dara to counter Nisibis.

526

The duration of the peace treaty ending the Anastasian
War was set for seven years, in reality it lasted for twenty. A question of
Persian royal succession and the defection of the Iberian King Gourgen broke the peace. At the opening of the Iberian
War, little fighting was done between Byzantine and Persian troops as allies
were recruited to serve both sides; Huns fought on both sides in the north and
Arabs in the south.

527

Justinian succeeds to the throne and to effectively defend the
eastern borders Western Armenia was reorganized as a military zone which
included First, Second and Inner Armenia. The former Armenian regiments now
became part of the Imperial military thereby eliminating the civil
administrative functions held by Greek and Armenian nakharars.

528

To counter the Persian threat in the north (Armenia)
and south (Mesopotamia), Justinian divided the magister militum of the East in
two a creating a separate magister militum of Armenia. The victory at Dara (530)
followed by a defeat at Callinicum (531) forced Justinian to re-open
negotiations.

532

The Persian King Khavad dies and is succeeded by his
son Khosrow I who concludes a treaty
with Justinian. Justinian returned to the reorganization of Western Armenia intent
on making it a province within the Empire. No longer sub-divided, Armenia now
became one province and the institution of new laws were clearly designed to
integrate Western Armenia into Byzantine authority.

537

The reduction of nakharar
authority and increased taxes stirred discontent in Western Armenia. Key
figures among the Armenian royal houses combined their forces to begin an
insurrection. They managed to sweep the Byzantines out of Western Armenia,
destroying a number of Imperial regiments. The revolt was crushed by the
arrival of a large Byzantine force capturing many Armenian nakharars to be
either executed or exiled.

570

In Persian Armenia, similar
changes were taking place; heavier taxes and economic and political exemptions
for the nakharars were greatly reduced. The Persian Marzban Souren
provoked the masses by erecting religious shrines. In response, the Armenian
chiefs sought the assistance of Byzantium to liberate Eastern Armenia if they
rose in revolt.

571

At the outbreak of the
rebellion, the Marzban Souren was slain sending other Persian officials and
soldiers to flee. Resistance continued for two years against Persian forces
without Byzantine aid forcing key Armenian to Constantinople to renew their plea.

572

With the Huns renewing their activity on
Persia’s eastern frontier, Byzantium declared war against Persia.

After seven years, the
Byzantine were less than successful forcing them to seek peace with Ormuzd
IV. The terms of the treaty did not satisfy Ormuzd IV, so hostilities were
renewed.

582

Byzantine fortunes turned
for the better with the new emperor Maurice. Invading Persia, the war
was brought to a successful conclusion and supporting the claim of Khosrov II
restored him to the throne in 591.

591

In return for Byzantine aid,
the new Persian King gave a major part of Armenia extending its eastern border
from Lake Van to Nissibin. As part of the agreement Armenian soldiers would be
relocated to other parts of their respective empires in an attempt to diffuse
any future friction.

602

Maurice is assassinated by
the usurper Phocas, which gave the Persians an opportunity to denounce
the treaty of 591 and reclaim lost territories. Persia successfully occupied
Syria and Egypt but Byzantine fortunes returned when Heraclius seized
the throne in 610.

622

Heraclius’ first attempt to
regain a foothold in Armenia was less than successful, but a second campaign
two years later swept the Persian army from the Armenian highlands to the
Tigris winning a decisive victory. The reverses in the field generated disorder
among the Persian elite prompting the assignation of Khosrov II. His son, Kavad
concluded a new treaty and with it a greater part of Armenia passed into the
Byzantine Empire in 627.